1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display sign, and more particularly, a changeable display sign system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for display signs have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 1,779,190, Issued on Oct. 21, 1930, to Send teaches a display sign comprising a supporting means, upwardly facing channel members secured thereto in spaced and parallel relation, a sign character having its lower edge receivable in the lower channel and its upper edge receivable beneath the upper channel, and a downwardly facing retaining channel having one side receivable in the upper channel and its other side adapted to overlap the upper edge of the sign character.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,967, Issued on May 20, 1975, to Barnes teaches a framed backing panel with opposed, vertically spaced groove means which respectively receive the upper and lower edges of character plates. The distance between the bases of the upper and lower groove means is sufficiently greater than the height of the character plates, that when any character plate is raised to abut the base of the upper groove, the lower edge of that character plate will clear the lip of the lower groove, whereupon the character plate may be removed from the sign. To prevent unauthorized removal of character plates, an unobtrusive locking strip is longitudinally removably disposed in the upper groove between the base and the upper edges of the character plates. Means may be provided to prevent removal of the locking strip. The panel frame is preferably T-slotted to provide a convenient fastener mount for mounting the sign.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,345, Issued on Nov. 19, 1985, to Bercier et al. teaches a display letter mounting arrangement for use in an open face sign having a flat forward, or display, surface. Each letter, or alphanumeric character, is provided on an individual flat panel which is inserted between generally horizontally oriented, parallel, upper and lower tracks. A high contrast, or illuminated, background screen is provided aft of the planar arrangement of letter panels which are positioned immediately adjacent one another. Each panel includes an opaque partition secured to a lateral edge of the panel along the length thereof so as to be positioned between immediately adjacent panels on the sign in an overlapping manner. Each partition, or inter-panel strip, has a cross section in the form of an “h”, with the recessed portion thereof securely attached to the lateral edge of a panel permitting the extended portion of the partition to engage and overlap the proximal edge portion of an immediately adjacent panel. The partition eliminates inter-panel light leaks and provides for more stable letter mounting. The arrangement of the present invention is particularly adapted for reverse-type letters in combination with an illuminated, or high contrast, background.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,701, Issued on Oct. 25, 1994, to Grate teaches an enlarged figure panel for attachment to an attraction board that has a planar panel which is adapted to fit over the outer surfaces of the rails defining the channels of the attraction board. A plurality of offset flanges which extend parallel to the surface of the panel are adapted to fit under the upper and lower lips of the tracks of at least one channel of the attraction board for attaching the figure board thereto. A U-shaped spring or a tab is also provided to prevent the figure panel from being blown out of a track of an attraction board by wind.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,800, Issued on Nov. 29, 1994, to Nelson teaches an Interchangeable display system that includes a mounting for a display element, the mounting includes a support backing and upper, center and lower face panels mounted to the support backing and spaced forwardly of the support backing with two elongated slots extending lengthwise between the respective face display elements and which cooperates with the upper slot, and a lower mounting hook on the back of the display element cooperates with the lower slot so that the two hooks retain the display element and can slide along the respective slots to assemble and disassemble the display element in position in front of the mounting. The display element itself may have face panels separated by a slot so that a superimposed display element provided with a mounting hook on the back thereof can be mounted in front of the display element.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,202, Issued on Aug. 6, 1996, to Brugger teaches a changeable letter for signs as a part of an illuminated sign or copy board system which provides different appearances when the changeable letters are alternately backlit or frontlit. The letter, understood to include letters, symbols and numerals, includes a translucent plate and first, second or additional layers of opaque, indicia-defining material applied thereto. The second layer is preferably of a lighter color than the first layer, and when superposed thereon, presents the appearance of a lighter colored letter surrounded by a darker border. However, when the letter is backlit as it would appear at nighttime positioned on an illuminated sign, the letter presents a black or otherwise darkened appearance surrounded by the lighted portion of the sign.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,147, Issued on Jan. 6, 1998, to Rellinger teaches a magnetic letter board assembly having a magnetic letter board and removably magnetically secured magnetic graphic indicia bodies, wherein the front surface of the board has a pair of inwardly converging walls and a wall bridging the inwardly converging walls, and the graphic indicia bodies have a recess formed with a pair of inwardly converging walls and a bottom wall bridging the inwardly converging walls conforming to the walls and bridging wall of the board, for cooperative removable securement of the indicia bodies on the board. The graphic indicia bodies comprises of magnetic flexible integrally formed graphic indicia and background members formed to fit the board.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,643, Issued on Nov. 10, 1998, to Delaquila et al. teaches a display sign that includes a translucent, planar back panel attached to a front, open portion of a generally rectangular housing which contains a light source. Disposed on a front surface of the back panel in a vertically spaced manner are a first plurality of parallel, linear, horizontally aligned tracks, or rails. The display sign further includes a plurality of front panels each having a respective second plurality of horizontally aligned, vertically spaced, linear tracks on an aft surface thereon. Each of the second tracks is adapted to engage a respective one of the first tracks on the front of the sign's back panel for securely and removably attaching the front panels to the back panel. The depth of each of the second tracks, or the extent each of the second tracks extends outwardly from the aft surface of a front panel, is the same for all tracks on a given front panel, with the depth of the tracks on adjacent panels being different. This difference in the depth of the support tracks on adjacent front panels allows the front panels to be positioned in an edge-overlapping manner on the back panel where the overlapping portions of an adjacent pair of front panels prevent light leaks between the panels. The alphanumeric or graphic display on the front panels may be disposed over the sets of interlocking tracks and may extend to the edges of the front panels to provide a continuous full view image on the front of the sign.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for display signs have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.